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ATLANTA:

404-874-7663

MARIETTA:

678-996-4982

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

New Roof Estimates

How do I know if I need a new roof?

Most older roofing shingles have a 15- to 30-year lifespan depending on the shingles’ quality, the location, foliage around your home, and how well the roof was installed originally. Direct sunlight, weather/wind damage, and poor ventilation can shorten the life of your roof.

The CertainTeed and GAF shingles we use today have lifetime warranties, but that hasn’t always been the case. We advise that 12-15 years is a good rule of thumb to go by. At that point, check for these warning signs:

Curling shingles

Loss of the asphalt granulation (looks like bald spots)

Evidence of leaking on your ceilings

Missing shingles

Visible cracks

Broken or damaged shingles

Rusted or missing flashing

If your roof is older than 15 years old, we recommend to give us a call so that we can come out and assess for replacement.

How much will a new roof cost?

Our technicians will inspect your roof and will let you know the best system for your home.

The price of a new roof system varies widely, depending on such things as the materials selected and the warranty selected.

You will get your new roof estimate 24 to 48 hours after our sales representative has visited your property.

What will my new roof estimate include?

Your estimate will enclose a detailed description of all actions that will take place during the re-roofing and offer 4 options of roofing choices that vary with warranties and product quality. If gutters, gutter guards or skylights were also assessed at your appointment, the pricing and product descriptions for those items will be included as well.

If I choose Bell Roofing, how long before my new roof can be installed?

Weather permitting, it could be as early as 2 days after we receive your signed estimate. When that is received, we put your property in the installation queue. Most often, your roof is installed within 2-10 days of receiving all of your completed paperwork.

Can I see samples/roofs you installed with shingle colors I’m interested in?

Of course! Let us know which colors you are interested in and we will provide the addresses of roofs installed with those colors. We also have color options available for view on our website and in our showrooms.

How do I get scheduled?

Please give us a call to 404-874-7663 when you are ready to install your new roof or send us your roofing estimate signed and completed with all color selections (shingles & drop edge) and we will schedule your installation.

Can you do an overlay roof on my home?

We partner exclusively with GAF to provide the best materials and warranties in the market nationwide. A part of that partnership prohibits us from making any decisions that are harmful to your roof, regardless of pricing, availability, etc. We only install single layer roofs and remove all previous layers before installing a new roof on every single project. Additional layers often suffocate your home which can lead to overheating, structural damage due to the overweight, rot, moisture retention and accelerated roof aging.

Can we replace our roof during the winter?

We can install your roof all year round, except for the days with severe weather conditions: rain, thunderstorms, day temperature lower than 38F, etc.

Installation Day

How long will the roof install take?

The duration of the project depends upon the size of your roof. It will usually take one day; at a maximum, two days.

What if it rains the day of my roof installation?

In the case of inclement weather, your roof install will be rescheduled to the next dry day. We do not open a roof unless we have a clear workday.

What happens on installation day?

On installation day, your home will essentially become a construction site. The crew will use tarps to cover the immediate grounds around your home, as this will also assist with proper site cleanup. As the project starts, old shingles will be removed, nails will fly away and wind will blow shingles. Be advised - all will be cleaned and a magnetic sweep is completed to remove all debris and materials before we finish work on your home.

*Please be aware that your roof has been there for approx 15 to 20 years accumulating dust, pollen and tree debris. All that dirt will be in the air when our technicians take off the shingles.

*Crew members will remove the shingles from the roof and one member is responsible for throwing them down to a crew member on the ground to place them in the dumpster. This is why the dumpster needs to be located close to your home.

*Once we take the shingles and underlayment off, we will check the wood decking for damaged/rotten areas. A new roof cannot be installed on sub-par decking. We will replace damaged decking at a cost agreed in the installation contract.

*New underlayment is installed and then the new shingles.

*The crew members will clean as best as they can the blown shingles, nails or debris and put all in the dumpster.

*Dumpster will be collected the evening of or the day following your installation. The driver will clean up the area where the dumpster was located.

At what time should we expect the installation crew to show up?

The crew will arrive between 7:00 am to 9:00 am or 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, pending weather and unforeseen conditions. There will be a crew chief and a field supervisor assigned to your installation. All concerns during installation are to be directed to the office via phone 404-874-7663 or email [email protected].

Will the crew members take breaks?

Yes. Please be aware that temperatures on roofs can exceed 110 °F and it is very easy for them to dehydrate.

All members will take a lunch break all at the same time and few other shorter breaks, on a rotating schedule.

Will my attic get dirty during the roof installation?

Most likely, your attic will be affected in some way during your installation. The longer your roof has been there, the more dust will have accumulated. We advise 1) covering clothes, furniture, etc. with towels or old sheets to protect them, as well as 2) temporarily relocating any objects that are fragile or of great value to you. There is a high chance that dust, small decking & shingle pieces and more may fall into your attic during the installation. Our crew is always mindful but gravity doesn’t lend us a hand. Bell Roofing is not responsible for damage to personal belongings that are left in your attic space during the installation.

Where do you put the old shingles?

For every roof installation we have a dumpster to collect old shingles and all debris related to the installation.

Does Bell recycle the old shingles?

Yes.

When will the dumpster arrive?

Dumpster and roofing materials will arrive the morning of the installation. They will be placed in your driveway unless other arrangements have been coordinated for permitted street placement. The dumpster is scheduled to arrive between 6:00 am and 9:00 am. Materials will arrive between 9:00 am-11:00 am unless otherwise advised.

Where will they put the dumpster?

Having clearance for the dumpster is the homeowner’s responsibility. Please have the driveway completely cleared in order to avoid being blocked in by the dumpster. If the dumpster has been scheduled to be parked on the street, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to block off the space in front of the property (using cones, personal car, trash bins, etc) prior to 5:30 am the morning of install.

Roof Repairs

Do I have to be there?

Yes, we’d prefer the owner, or someone of their choosing, meet our tech at the property to adequately point out damage.

Do I receive a repair estimate during the appointment?

Yes, our technician will assess the problem, explain to you the repair required and will write a repair estimate for your approval while he is on your property. If the repair requires a specific material that needs to be quoted before, you will receive an estimate within 48 hours.

What if I’m not ready to sign/approve the estimate right away?

No problem! You can keep the repair estimate given by our technician and when you are ready to do the repair, give us a call to 404-874-7663. You will need to either sign the tech’s copy of the estimate when they first present it to you, or simply email us a photo of your own copy of the estimate with your signature at bottom.

Note: Our repairs estimates are valid for 30 days only. After that, the damage may need to be reinspected, as depending upon weather, more damage may have occurred since the initial inspection.

When you sign a repair estimate, it becomes our contract. Once we have the estimate signed, we will schedule an appointment for the same technician to complete the repair.

Do I have to pay right away?

Our repair contracts are due once the repair is completed. You will receive an invoice and you can pay online or by mailing a check to our Atlanta office (457 Flat Shoals Ave SE, Suite 1B, Atlanta GA 30316.)

Note: There is a 10-day grace period on all invoices for payment remittance. A 1.5% interest fee will incur every concurrent 10-day period after that for which the invoice remains unpaid.

What if the leak re-occurs?

In the unlikely case that a leak is not solved, you must call the office to report the issue 404-874-7663. We will prioritize this CALLBACK, and send the same technician to revisit the work until the problem is solved, at no cost to the customer, as long as the leak is coming from the same area. If leak is coming from a different area, your technician will then provide a new repair estimate to you.

In the majority of cases, our repair techs find the cause of the leak. Some leaks are tricky though and our techs may require an assessment when it is raining so they can track the path of incoming water to locate the source of the leak.

Please report any indication that a leak has continued or recurred ASAP. Delaying will only allow the leak to become worse leading to greater damage, and therefore more extensive repairs.

A repair was done and I would like to move forward with the interior repair. When is the best time to do it?

We recommend to our clients to wait for a couple of rainy days to confirm the leak was correctly repaired and the interior has thoroughly dried before moving forward with the interior repair. Once that has been confirmed, we can help you to schedule a painter to provide you a repair/paint estimate.

Will I be able to see where the repair on my roof was done?

Our techs will match existing style and color of shingles as closely as possible. However, depending upon the age of the roof and the aged-color of the shingles, the repaired area may look different. We will send you photos of the finished repaired areas so that you know exactly where repairs took place.

I have a leak on a flat roof with a bitumen membrane installed. Can you repair it?

If the membrane has not expired, yes. Our technicians are qualified to work with modified bitumen.

What if it rains when I have my appointment?

Bell Roofing will call you to reschedule your appointment. Our technicians can’t get on the roof when it is raining. OSHA mandates and insurance liability strictly prohibit this.

I forgot I had an appointment. What shall I do?

Appointments may be cancelled/rescheduled without penalty, if customer notifies Bell’s office 2 business days in advance of their scheduled appointment. Any changes made within 48 business hours of the scheduled appointment are subject to a $75 cancellation fee.

Roofing Terms

What’s the difference between architectural and 3-tab shingles?

Architectural

Dimensional, various sized tabs

Heavier, weight appx. 50% more than 3-Tab

Thicker and have a longer warranty, usually

More expensive

3-Tab

Flat, one size tab

Lighter weight

Shorter warranty, may need to be replaced sooner

Less expensive

What is drip edge?

Drip edge is a metal angle flashing that goes along the eaves and gable ends of your roof system to protect the edges and wood structure from water intrusions/damage. It is installed with an intended tilt, which is specifically meant to direct water away from your roof.

Aside from being a Code Enforcement requirement in the state of GA, drip edge aids to shield your home from the following damage:

Deters pests from accessing the space between the fascia board and a deck at the bottom of the roof.

Pushes water away from the fascia and reduces the risk of it developing rot.

Protects the shingles from potential water damage, which otherwise may cause the roof, deck, and fascia board to degrade over time.

What is a valley?

A hip (or a hipped roof) is a roofing style where all roof sides slope downward toward the ground/eaves - where the walls of the house are below the eaves on each side of the roof.

What is a ridge?

In simple language, the ridge of a roof is the peak where two opposing roof planes meet. A ridge runs horizontally and is suitable for ‘ridge venting.’

What is a hip?

A hip (or a hipped roof) is a roofing style where all roof sides slope downward toward the ground/eaves - where the walls of the house are below the eaves on each side of the roof.

What is a gable?

A gable (or a gabled roof) is a roofing style where two sides slope downward toward the walls – and the remaining sides include walls that extend from the bottom of the eaves to the peak of the ridge.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

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Please feel free to contact us anytime. Our team will be happy to assist you.